Why I Help People Take Drugs

Reflections of a Christian Addiction Medicine Physician

Why I Help People Take Drugs is for anyone who has struggled with how to care for people experiencing addiction. Dr. Grover describes her own evangelical lens and how it applies when considering the societal role in the current opioid crisis. She touches on topics such as harm reduction, recovery, decriminalization, and involuntary treatment, with patient examples interwoven with medical education about addiction. In the midst of a devastating opioid crisis, Why I Help People Take Drugs provides invaluable lessons to help the church develop a meaningful response toward addiction. 

Reviews

  • Meera is an engaging, delightful storyteller with an ability to tackle challenging topics with grace and humour. Meera's understanding and engagement with academics and practitioners across many disciplines is always a mind and heart opening experience!

    Rev. Kelly Johnson, Chaplain, University of Calgary

  • Gritty, engaging and powerful, Dr. Grover’s Why I Help People Take Drugs confronts injustice and indifference with compassion and care. This provocative and compelling book challenges Christians to see addiction medicine as true practice of following Jesus, offering hope and dignity to the marginalized.

    Benjamin Perrin, author Overdose: Heartbreak and Hope in Canada’s Opioid Crisis

  • Why I Help People Take Drugs is thoughtful and introspective, using Dr. Grover’s own experiences to illustrate key concepts of addiction medicine that are commonly misunderstood or misrepresented by people of any, or no, particular faith. It is my hope that this book simulates conversation, helping to shift public discourse, and perhaps even policy, on substance use to be more compassionate and evidence informed

    Erin Knight, MD, President-Elect, Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine

  • Dr. Grover was a guest speaker in my class, sharing about addiction medicine to first-year students who previously had little knowledge on the subject. Dr. Grover was able to present a complex topic in approachable ways, weaving storytelling and her medical expertise in an engaging manner. At the end of the class, not only did students leave with increased knowledge about addiction medicine, but were also challenged by how our society shapes the way we think about addiction and how we may be part of something different.

    Samantha Hung, MSW, RSW (former Sessional Faculty, Ambrose University)

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About Dr. Meera Grover

Meera Bai Grover is a medical doctor with the highest level of training in addiction medicine available to physicians in Canada. She currently works in Calgary at hospitals and at community sites, including shelters, street outreach, and inner-city clinics, as well as in medical education. On the theological side, she is a graduate of Regent College in Vancouver. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, gardening, and hanging out with her cats and chickens.

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